Polite Overdue-Invoice Reminders With a Human Gate: An Accounting-Software-Neutral Workflow

Small Australian businesses often struggle with chasing overdue invoices, a task that is both repetitive and awkward. This makes it an ideal candidate for automation, provided a human remains in control of sensitive matters.

The automated workflow begins by pulling overdue invoices daily, checking each one's status, amount due, and contact details. A do_not_chase flag is maintained for customers on payment plans, in dispute, or handled personally.

Next, the schedule for reminders is determined, based on the number of days overdue. A gentle reminder goes out at three days overdue, using an automatic template. A firmer reminder is scheduled at ten days overdue, but requires approval before being sent. At twenty-one days overdue, the automation stops, and a task is created for the business owner to handle the situation personally.

The AI system then reads replies from customers, classifying them into different types such as says_paid, asks_for_plan, disputes_work, question, or other. Depending on the classification, the reminder process is paused, and a task is created for the owner to respond. Any dispute directly goes to the owner.

All actions, including the invoice ID, step, template used, who approved, the time sent, and any replies, are logged. If a customer asks why they received a particular reminder, the system can provide an answer. The workflow is tested with various awkward cases, such as partial payments recorded after a reminder was queued, two invoices for the same customer, one disputed, and a credit note issued but not yet applied. The system also accounts for customers on payment plans.

This workflow is designed after a 72-hour audit, providing an owner-level view through a workflow audit guide available on the agency's blog.